Disclaimer: Touhou Project is property of Team Shanghai Alice; I do not profit from this work in any way
A/N: Sorry for the delay; writing drama is fun, living it is not
Chapter 2 – Decision
The night passed by at Jowa's house peacefully. The youkai of the forest rarely disturb Jowa's household. From time to time, there are passing fairies that like to get the attention of those present for fun. There have been a couple times when youkai have tried to break into the house, only to be stopped by the barrier spells Jowa put in place for keeping out the hunters. Hikaru was the first to wake. She often was, as she took the role of housekeeper. She put on one of her dresses and trousers, tied her hair up into a ponytail, and made her way to the kitchen. On her way, she noticed Rumia, reminding her of the events that had unfolded during the previous night. Rumia had stripped herself down to her undergarments, consisting of bra made of wraps and a pair of bloomers. Her dress was casually thrown off on one of the chairs. Rumia herself was hanging out of the futon she had been given, with the bedding only covering her left leg. Hikaru giggled at the sight, moving over to replace the cover over her guest. As soon as she approached, Rumia suddenly woke, grabbed Hikaru's leg, and pulled her down to the ground.
"Eek!" Hikaru shrieked.
"Who dares to disturb me... oh, wait a minute. This isn't my home in the forest," Rumia muttered, sounding only half awake.
"Let go! Let go! Let go!" Hikaru shouted, finding herself unable to get out of Rumia's strong grip.
Rumia mumbled something incoherent to herself before drifting back to sleep, letting Hikaru go in the process.
"Maybe it's better if I just leave her like that. Yeah, if she gets cold, or something, I'm sure she'll cover herself back up. Yep," Hikaru said aloud as she got herself back to preparing breakfast. The little fairy decided she would make some scrambled eggs for everyone, since it was something quick, easy, and filling. Hikaru went over to the metal cooking range. She used a bit of her magic to start up the heat source, consisting of a mini magical reactor that recycled magic over and over, converting it to heat in the process. Hikaru used a small amount of magic, so as not to have too much heat, not wanting to burn everyone's meal. Hikaru turned to go down to the cellar, the entrance located just outside a door in the back of the kitchen that led outside. Hikaru grabbed a small basket full of eggs and made her way back up to the kitchen to prepare cooking the meal.
The smell of the food cooking was enough to get Jowa to rise out of bed. He still felt a little sore from the previous night, but shook it off as he dressed into some fresh clothes and made his way to the kitchen.
"What smells good in here?" Jowa asked.
"Hey, hey, it's not done until it's done! Go wait outside, you, and no trying to sample anything!" Hikaru shouted upon seeing Jowa attempt to enter the kitchen.
"Yes, mam," Jowa said with a sarcastic undertone. Hikaru humphed at the comment before going back to work.
"She takes cooking as seriously as other fairies take pranks," Jowa thought to himself as he made his way into the living area. He looked down to see Rumia exposed on the floor. Jowa blushed a little at the sight.
"I should cover her up a little. I just hope she doesn't think I'm some kind of pervert for doing so," Jowa muttered to himself, as walked over to Rumia, unaware of what had happened when Hikaru tried to do the same thing. As soon as Jowa had managed to grab part of the futon, the youkai pulled at Jowa's right hand. She was surprised when the bandaged hand collapsed on itself in her grip. She had managed to grab something hard concealed by the bandages before her hand slipped.
"Wha-what in the world!" Rumia shouted, suddenly full awake in surprise.
"Um, uh, sorry about that. It's just that you were kind of exposed there, and I wanted to cover you back up and all... he he," Jowa said, while slowly backing up.
"You weren't thinking of doing something perverted, were you?"
"W-wha? Of course not! I'm a gentleman! I would never do something to a cute girl without her express permission!"
"You men are all the same. See a beautiful youkai like this, and then you lose all common sense."
"I was just covering you back up."
"Is that so? Well, that's good then, because if you tried to do anything else, I'd rip off that which makes you man."
Jowa had a look of fear on his face at the thought, quickly noting how easily Rumia could have reached out and grabbed a certain part of his anatomy. Jowa gave his youkai guest plenty of space to herself.
"So, uh, would you like something else to wear? I can have Hikaru wash your dress for you, if you wish," Jowa asked.
"Do you have something else suitable?" Rumia asked.
"Yes, I do. Here, follow me," Jowa said, while gesturing Rumia to follow him. Rumia did so, following Jowa up the stairs to his bedroom. Rumia made no effort to cover her undergarments from view, knowing her threat to Jowa was all the protection she really needed. Jowa opened up his closet for her. On one side were Jowa's outfits, most of them the same thing with a few other outfits that appeared to be for special occasions. The other half consisted of several dresses, most of them variations on the same basic theme, with some more ornate dresses at the end of the row.
"Why do you have women's clothing in here? These appear rather large for your friend down stairs," Rumia said.
"Oh, they, uh, belonged to someone who used to live here," Jowa said.
"I see," Rumia said to herself, opting not to pry into the issue, as it appeared to cause Jowa distress. Rumia picked out a dark red dress with pink ribbons.
"Is this one okay?" Rumia asked.
Jowa stared for a second lost in thought. An image of that red dress on its previous owner came to mind, leaving him unresponsive.
"Jowa? Can you hear me? Is this dress okay?" Rumia asked, in a more stern tone of voice.
"Hm? Oh, yes, that dress is just fine. Really, you may borrow any of the dresses here, except for the more formal ones. Would you like a pair of trousers to go with it?" Jowa asked.
"No, this will do. I don't like wearing trousers unless there is a pressing need for me to do so," Rumia replied, while loosening the ribbons on the dress to free it from the hanger it was on. Rumia then slipped the dress over herself, tying up the ribbons going down the side and the ties in the front, but couldn't reach the ties in the back.
"Here, let me help you with those," Jowa said, walking behind Rumia to fix the ties for her. Rumia was a little apprehensive at first, not liking the idea of letting anyone simply walk over behind her. She gave Jowa a glare as he was walking, making him stop in his tracks.
"If you don't feel comfortable with me doing it, I could ask Hikaru to take care of it for you," Jowa said in response.
Rumia sighed to herself.
"It's okay, you can do it, but don't try anything," Rumia said in a stern tone.
Jowa nodded and Rumia turned around, showing her back to him. Rumia moved her hair out of the way, allowing Jowa to get to the ties. Jowa blushed a little while taking care of them, again thinking of the dress's previous owner. After a few moments, Jowa finished, prompting Rumia to turn around again.
"I didn't tie them too tight, did I?" Jowa asked.
"No, you didn't. It's tight enough not to feel like it will fall off, but loose enough to not feel restricting," Rumia replied.
Jowa closed his closet and turned to lead the pair down the stairs. Hikaru was finished with cooking the eggs, having made her return from the cellar with a bottle of milk. Jowa put up the futon Rumia was using and set up a small table. Hikaru set down plates for everyone, and a glass for everyone with the bottle of milk in the middle. The group knelt down, gave their thanks for the meal, and enjoyed Hikaru's cooking. After a few minutes, the group finished their meal, prompting Hikaru to start cleaning up. Rumia offered her help, so as not to be a rude guest, but Hikaru refused, taking care of cleaning up on her own. After Hikaru finished cleaning up after the meal. She grabbed Rumia's dress and set herself about to washing it.
"Please be gentle with that; it is one of my favorites," Rumia said.
"I will, don't worry. Your dress is safe with me!" Hikaru shouted before getting her clothes washing tools together and sitting outside on the back porch, where she usually took care of the laundry.
"Well, I suppose I should get going. I have to bring money and food in here somehow," Jowa said, before grabbing his socks and sandals.
"If I may ask, what is it that you do?" Rumia asked.
"I run a small travel stand near a path that's frequented by the travelers of the forest. I also run a small tavern at night around the night of the full moon."
"I see. I think I've heard of it before. I don't believe I've ever frequented your stand before, though. You don't really look familiar."
"I don't think I've seen you before, either. Well, you're welcome to join, if you like. I don't know if you're in good enough shape to leave, but you'll have to at least wait until your dress dries before leaving, right? Might as well have something to do the pass the time."
"I suppose sitting around here and doing nothing would not be a pleasant way to wait. I'll join you," Rumia replied.
Jowa smiled and made his way out the kitchen door and further off to the side of the house. He wheeled his travel stand over by the entrance of the cellar, making his way down to fetch what he needed for the day.
"I'm heading out now, Hikaru. I'll try to be back home in time for dinner tonight," Jowa said.
"Don't go overexerting yourself. You need to let that wound heal before you get yourself into another fight, okay?" Hikaru asked.
"Alright, alright. I'll avoid fighting for the next couple of days, but don't blame it on me if I end up getting in one anyway. You know how trouble has a way of finding it's way to me," Jowa replies.
"Yes, yes, I know. Now off with you... oh, is Rumia going with you?" Hikaru asked.
"I am," Rumia replied.
"Keep him out of fights, please. His heart is bigger than his brain. He'll leap into one without any regard for his own safety," Hikaru stated.
"I'll see what I can do," Rumia replied in a sarcastic tone. Hikaru didn't catch it.
"See you later, Hikaru," Jowa said before setting off. After making his way from the house a set distance, he pulled out a spell card.
"What do you need that for?" Rumia asked.
"Disguise. As you saw last night, I'm a little too well known. However... Nue Sign 'Phase Shift!'" Jowa shouts. After the card burns up, Jowa's body begins to glow, obscuring his form for a moment. When the light dies down, Jowa's appearance is completely different. He now sports long, dirty blond hair tied back in a ponytail, blue eyes, and white skin. He's wearing a blue kimono with black hakama pants and a pair of geta sandals with white tabi.
"No one knows who Kuki the shopkeeper is," Jowa said.
"I see. Interesting spell. Where did you learn it from?" Rumia asked.
"From some youkai I helped once. They said it's been passed around from youkai to youkai. No one knows who came up with it, or what it's based on, though it's said to be a copy of the abilities of the legendary Nue itself, hence the name," Jowa replied.
"There are those who pass around rather unique tales. I wouldn't give much thought to many of them, but that spell is helpful regardless."
"It helps me to bring in resources, as well as allow me entrance into the village without fear of being killed. Even if someone suspected who I was, this spell won't break until either I use it again to change back, or I am killed."
"I don't suppose you'd be willing to pass it on to me?"
"I could. I doubt you'd tell any of the hunters about it. It's considered taboo to teach the spell to humans; I guess they thought I was a special exception for saving them."
"So your job isn't so thankless, is it?"
"I look at it as it's own reward. This is just a convenient perk."
Rumia nodded as the pair continued into the forest. After making it to a well traveled path, Jowa set the brakes on his food cart, and set up his shop. After waiting for a while, no one had made their way through the area.
"I take it you don't get too much business out here?" Rumia asked.
"Hm, not from humans. Plenty of youkai, though. Just have to be careful with trickster fairies and anyone that could create an illusion. I got tricked many times over when I first started this business," Jowa replied.
"That's not too surprising, really. I can imagine you would get tricked many times."
"Oh, here comes one of my regulars."
A youkai approached down the path. She had short, blond hair, yellow eyes, and white skin. She was wearing a long sleeved white dress with a blue cloth with a white pattern going down the middle of the back and front. She was wearing a pair of slipper shoes with a blue ring around the ankle. She also had a hat with yellow amulets covering it hiding a pair of fox ears to go with the nine fox tails she had.
"Ah, greetings, Miss Ran," Jowa said.
"Hello, Kuki," the fox youkai, Ran, replied.
Rumia looked Ran over studying her features, trying to get an idea of what kind strength she possessed. She could feel an ominous power coming from the fox youkai, a power strong enough to earn respect.
"You're no ordinary youkai," Rumia said.
"I'm anything but ordinary. You... you're Rumia of the Darkness, correct?" Ran asked.
"You're rather sharp. You know about me, but I don't know anything about you outside of your name," Rumia replied.
"My master keeps an eye on what takes place throughout Gensokyo. She keeps tabs on anyone she believes to be of significance. Whether that value is derived from power or political position is on her own personal whims," Ran explained.
"You serve a master? She must be quite powerful to keep you under her wing," Rumia replied.
"She is the strongest youkai in all of Gensokyo, and knows more about the land than any other. The only beings capable of beating her in a straight one on one match are the Yama, and only in Higan, where they have the advantage," Ran stated.
"I'd like to try to fight someone like that," Rumia muttered to herself.
"I wouldn't, if I were you. She doesn't suffer fools lightly. Those who stand in line against her have a tendency to meet an unfortunate end," Ran replied.
"Ho?" Rumia asked.
"So, uh, Ran, what is it that your master sent you out here for today?" Jowa asked.
"Do you still have some wasabi root?" Ran asked.
"Of course. A friend of mine makes sure I don't run out," Jowa replied, pulling out a small jar containing some of the root.
"You're quite consistent. The village markets can never keep a steady supply. Would you be interested in some Outside wares today for payment?" Ran asked.
"No thanks. I had no use for those 'steam engine' parts your master gave you last time. I really don't have need for such things," Jowa replied.
"What's a 'steam engine?'" Rumia asked.
"It's a machine that uses heated water for pushing parts to generate motion. My master finds such things to be of interest," Ran explained.
"Supposedly, her master is a collector of many things from the Outside. Most of which none of us could have any real use for. The only practical thing I've seen come from them are clothes, and they really don't have things that are so different from what can be found here," Jowa said.
"Hm. Well, I don't have that much interest in the works of the humans on the Outside, anyway. From what I hear, they rely too much on machines to do work for them. If that's the case, they must be really weak," Rumia said.
"I wouldn't say they are weak so much as they have a very different way of dealing with things, but I digress. Here you go, Kuki," Ran cut in, while handing Jowa several gold coins for payment.
"Thank you, Miss Ran. Anything else for today? I have some fresh tofu, if you're interested," Jowa said.
"You sure do know how to please a lady, don't you? Alright, I'll buy a little from you. Master didn't forbid me from buying a little something for myself, and your products are always the best," Ran replied.
Jowa smiled while pulling out some tofu, happily taking Ran's payment.
"Have a pleasant day, Miss Ran. Tell your master I said 'hi,'" Jowa said.
"I will. Have a good day Rumia, Jowa," Ran replied before walking back down the path.
Jowa let out a small chuckle. Rumia wondered why, until she realized what was wrong with Ran's parting comment.
"She can see through your disguise?" Rumia asked.
"Only a Nue could see through this disguise. Like she said, her master keeps an eye on anyone of significance throughout Gensokyo. For whatever reason, she thinks of me as one of them," Jowa replied.
"A human being of interest to a powerful youkai?"
"Ran did mention that it's not all about power. I guess it's because of all the youkai I've helped to save over the years, or something. I don't really think of myself as anyone special. I just happen to know a few tricks that have kept me alive over the years."
"Have you ever met her master before?"
"I don't believe so. If I did, I didn't know. She' never once even mentioned her master's name to me, nor have I heard anything about her other than rumors from some youkai circles."
"I can't say I've heard of them before."
"Those with power in the youkai groups tend to stay in the background, rather than staying in front, not wanting to draw too much attention to themselves. At least, that's what one of them told me."
"Who is the strongest youkai you've met?"
"A rather interesting individual. She likes to tease others, both humans and youkai alike, but she makes sure to stay out of the spotlight. Gensokyo isn't technically her home; she lives in a world near to this one. She's thought of coming here before, though. If you hang around me long enough, you'll run into her."
"You don't plan on telling me her name?"
"She's told me to keep her name a secret. She was half laughing when she said it, but given her odd personality, it was rather hard to tell. I can tell you now that I'm no match for her, and she's rather fickle, so I'd rather play it safe for the time being."
"If you insist."
Business was slow throughout the rest of the day. There were a few youkai that came by, asking for various items. Jowa kept stock of many rare and hard to find items. He claimed to have received them from the various youkai he has helped out in the past, but didn't elaborate any further. As the sun set, Jowa prepared to close up his shop for the day.
"Well, that was fun," Jowa said.
"You called dealing with that group of fairies fun?" Rumia asked.
"Fairies will be fairies. At least I was able to get a legitimate sale out of them, even if they were trying to rob me blind."
As Jowa closed up the last of his stand and prepared for his return to his home, he heard screaming coming from further out in the forest.
"Hunters..." Jowa muttered, while setting down the cart, and checking through the spell cards he had with him.
"You plan to go after them, even after what Hikaru told you about resting?" Rumia asked.
"She knows I never listen. I'll be okay, as long as it's not Takashi and his group again. Nue Sign 'Phase Shift!'" Jowa shouted, reverting back to his normal form.
"You want to stay here, or join me? Doesn't matter which," Jowa asked.
"You sure your cart will be okay sitting here?" Rumia asked.
"I've yet to see a fairy succeed in getting that lock open. It's reinforced so that even powerful spells won't break it easily, so don't worry about it."
"Alright. I could use a little more excitement, I suppose. I'd hate to say the highlight of my day was fighting off a band of fairies."
Jowa smiled as he made his way towards the source of the shouting from before. When he arrived, he saw a trail of blood going off further into the forest, and followed it, hoping he wasn't too late the save the youkai being threatened.
"Wah!" a fairy shouted, looking on at the arrow sticking out of her friend's shoulder. The fairy had short, pink hair, and bright red eyes. She was wearing a short sleeved dress made of pink flower petals and had matching sandals, along with white wings that also looked like flower petals.
"It's okay, Manaka, just a scratch," the injured fairy replied. She pulled the arrow out, and used a bit of her magic to seal the wound. She had short, golden blond hair and white eyes. She was wearing a long sleeved white blouse with a yellow vest over it. She had a yellow skirt with white polka dots to go with it, and white sandals. She had yellow translucent wings. Her body was more developed than the others, who appeared to be younger children.
"This group of humans is rather persistent. They are still chasing after us, Haruna," another fairy said. This fairy has long, white hair and gray eyes. She was wearing a white, long sleeved dress, and had white translucent wings and white shoes.
"We should just fly away, Fuwari, they'll never catch us up there!" another fairy shouted. She had short, blue hair and white eyes. She was wearing a long sleeved blue dress with a cloud pattern on it, and sky blue sandals. She had blue translucent wings.
"Aki, they would see us before we got away, it's best to stay low and hide until they pass," a fifth fairy said. She had long, red hair in a ponytail and orange eyes. She was wearing a short sleeved orange dress and hand on red sandals. She had red, translucent wings.
"Reika's approach would be the best choice," Haruna said.
"If you insist," Aki replied. The fairy found herself ducking below an arrow.
"They're getting close again!" Manaka shouted.
"I got them! Take this! Fire Sign 'Rolling Flame!'" Reika shouts. A series of fireballs form on the forest floor, before rolling towards the group chasing after the band of fairies.
"That ought to take care of them!" Reika shouted, while the group increased their speed, hoping to take advantage of their pursuers slowing down to deal with the spell.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Aki asked. Her question was answered with an arrow going through one of her wings. She winced in pain, doing her best to compensate for the changes she needed to make to keep flying.
"Aki! Are you okay!" Manaka shouted.
"That hurt... uh... I can barely fly like this," Aki replied.
"We better find a place to hide. Looks like we're not going to be outrunning them so easily," Haruna said.
"I'll give us some cover, then. 'Wind Sign 'Razor Sharp!'" Fuwari shouted. At the end of her declaration, several blade danmaku formed from the wind before Fuwari. The danmaku blades were sent out for a couple of minutes while the other fairies sought cover.
"Guf!" shouted a man further down the forest. He was wearing a green armor hunter outfit. There were four others like him, and one hunter in a white armor outfit.
"This one is a little better than those little fireballs. This one actually takes some effort to avoid, so watch it," the white hunter, the group's leader, said.
"To think that they actually put a good scratch on my armor with a near miss. If that hit me head on, I'd be in trouble," the first hunter replied.
"I see the one who did that!" another hunter shouted.
"I see her, too. This one is mine! Power Sign 'Iron Barrage!'" the first hunter said. After the spell card burned up, and barrage of iron pellets took form before the hunter. The pellets were the size of adults finger nails. The pellets were sent straight at Fuwari.
Fuwari looked down to see the hunters had spotted her and had already unleashed an attack. She knew she wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time after casing her spell for a full three minutes, but did her best to get down. She was hit by many of the bullets. They quickly tore through her wings, causing her to start crashing towards the ground. Several pellets struck her body, leaving small wounds behind, her white dress quickly stained with blood. As she fell to the ground, she crashed through a tree branch, which broke her right arm, before she finally struck the ground.
The weakened Fuwari looked around, seeing no sign of her friends out in the open.
"At least they're safe. It looks like I'm not going to make it though. At least we got to have fun with that prank on that merchant earlier, even if we were caught in the end," Fuwari thought to herself. She was lying on her back now, looking up into the sky, and waiting for those chasing her to appear. Within a few moments, the hunters arrived, looking down to see their target.
"Well, what do we have here?" the hunter who was hit earlier said, "Aren't you the cute little monster. Tell me, where did your friends run off to?"
"Sorry, I didn't see where they went," Fuwari replied, before going into a coughing fit. A little blood dribbled down her mouth. The hunter noted her broken arm, and stomped on it, bringing Fuwari more pain. Fuwari, being the most mature of the group, didn't break into a crying fit at the pain or what looked to be her inevitable death. She merely winced again, before looking up into the eyes of the one causing her pain.
"Are you sure you don't know where they went?" the hunter asked, twisting his foot at "sure."
"I was covering for them to find a hiding place, I didn't have a chance to see where they went," Fuwari replied.
"That's a shame, then," the hunter replied, while drawing out his sword.
"I see that you intend to kill me. I'm not going to beg for my life, but at least tell me why you are doing this. That's not too much to ask for, right?" Fuwari said.
"Ho, so you want to know that, hm? I'll give you points for being more strong than the others, but that's about all!" the hunter shouted, before bringing down his sword. Before he could finish his target, though, the hunter in white armor stopped him.
"Huh? Hey, what gives! You a youkai lover now, or something!" the hunter shouted.
"Not at all," the white armored hunter replied, "But I think she deserves an answer for her bravery. One that I'll deliver, since you won't."
The white armored hunter moved forward to Fuwari's prone form, before locking his brown eyes to her white eyes. The other hunters in the group recognized the look, and gave twisted grins at what they knew was about to happen, prompting them to back off.
"It's quite simple. All you beings of magic are abominations of nature. Free manipulation of the elements and nature? What kind of beings should be allowed to harness that power? None. Not to mention what you do with those powers. Pulling pranks on travelers? Stealing food from farmers? Misguiding children so they can't find their way home? Why should we allow such beings to exist in this world? We shouldn't. That's why. But, before that..." the white armored hunter says, while moving to lift up Fuwari's skirt. Fuwari realized what was going on, and tried to fire a small danmaku burst at the man, only to have her hand broken and her face slapped.
"Before I kill you, you're at least going to serve one useful purpose!" the white armored man shouted, while yanking off her bloomers and exposing her personal parts to the world. At this point, Fuwari did cry, wishing for death as opposed to what was about to be brought upon her. The hunter undid his pants, preparing to commit the act, a sadistic grin plastered on his face. Before he could act further, his grin turned to sudden shock.
Fuwari was stunned as the white armored hunter did nothing for a few moments. Then blood sprayed out of the back of his head and he fell forward, dead. The other hunters were stunned, but they were not looking at their fallen leader, they were looking on at the one who killed him, a blond haired youkai wielding a large, black sword.
"You humans are truly disgusting creatures to even think of doing something like that!" Rumia shouted.
The other hunters realized immediately they were no match for a strong youkai like Rumia, and turned to run, only to find Jowa standing before them. They recognized him from the descriptions of his person passed along the ranks of the hunters.
"You truly are the scum of the earth to try to do something like that to an innocent fairy! Fire Sign 'Blast!'" Jowa shouted, sending out a mass barrage of fireball danmaku in front of himself. The hunter in front of Jowa was burned to death quickly, while the others received several burns. Rumia was ready behind them, preparing to hit them with a spell of her own.
"Night Bird Sign 'Feather Blade!'" Rumia shouts. At the end of her declaration, a spread of black feathers appeared. The feathers took the shape of blades, and were sent out towards the hunters. Two of the hunters were killed by the attack. One lost an arm, while the last hunter was able to avoid taking any hits. Rumia quickly finished off the hunter who lost his arm, the man in too much pain to put up any kind of solid defense. The last hunter was frozen between Rumia and Jowa. He knew it was two on one, and there was no possibility of his surviving a fight with the two of them.
"I-I surrender! Please don't kill me!" the hunter shouted.
"You surrender, do you? How many youkai have you killed that asked you the same thing of them?" Jowa asked.
"U-uh... um... I... I... please! I'm sorry! I'll change! Just don't kill me!" the hunter shouted again.
"Very well, then. To prove your point, give me all your weapons and spell cards, and then leave. If I ever see you in that uniform again, I'll kill you where you stand," Jowa replied.
The hunter complied, removing his sword and setting his spell cards on top of it. The man slowly backed away, then ran away from the scene.
"If I can least convince one..." Jowa said, before being interrupted by the sound of metal hitting metal, followed by an explosion behind him. Jowa turned to see Rumia standing behind him, a small knife aimed for his head lying on the ground, and a swell of dark magic dissipating where the fleeing hunter attempted to kill Jowa.
"You're too soft, Jowa. They guy almost killed you," Rumia said.
"Maybe a little, but not naïve, either," Jowa replied, while showing he had formed a sword in his hand, ready to have taken care of the knife himself.
"You should have just killed him right here. You said it yourself; that man and his compatriots were filth. They were going to rape the little one here before killing her. They likely intended the same treatment for her comrades. How could you let anyone like that go free?"
"I have hope for even the darkest of the dark that change may find them before death does. I don't like killing anyone; it removes their chances at redemption."
"If you really want to save anyone, you're going to have to drop that attitude. There are some who are far too tainted to be turned back."
"Perhaps, but that statement in itself implies there are those who it's not too late for," Jowa said, while slowly walking up to Fuwari. She was shaking a little from being nervous over what was about to happen to her. She could only watch the fight stunned. She was still trying to calm down. Jowa gently redressed her, before looking her over.
"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to try and patch you up a bit, okay. It's going to sting a little, but I need to clean these injuries.
Fuwari nodded, and allowed Jowa to take care of her wounds. She winced several times, but didn't cry like the child she appeared to be. Jowa carefully bandaged her wounds. There was nothing he could do for her broken arm and hand, though.
"I lack the supplies needed to fix you the rest of the way. I'll have to take you somewhere to get aid," Jowa said.
"Thank you, but I'll be fine. I just need to find the others," Fuwari said, "If I may ask, who are you?"
"Kurome Jowa, you?"
"I am Fuwari. The one over there... she was there earlier, at the merchant stand... but you weren't... or were you?"
"You're rather sharp. I was using a disguise, so none of those hunters would be able to recognize me."
"After we tried to steal from you, you still helped us out?"
"An attempted theft is hardly a crime worthy of the punishment you were about to receive. It was just a harmless little prank. In the end, I was able to get you guys to buy those cakes from me, so it was worthwhile for me."
"For me, as a woman, I refuse to let such actions take place," Rumia said.
"I see," Fuwari replied.
"Do you know where your friends went?" Jowa asked.
"They shouldn't be too far from here. They were looking for someplace to hide quickly. I just needed to act as the distraction."
"That's very brave of you."
"Not too many of us would stick out for others like that. I suppose fairies seem to get along well with each other, more so than the rest of us," Rumia said.
"We became friends through a series of chance meetings. Over time, we became a little family. I look to them as sisters, and I would never let any harm come to my family," Fuwari stated.
"A family, huh?" Rumia said to herself, thinking over the many years she spent by herself.
Jowa smiled, Fuwari's words reminding him of Hikaru is a part of his "family." Jowa gently held Fuwari over his shoulder, and the group of three went looking for the other fairies. They were found hiding in a tree, which had been made to look like it was solid, but actually had it's entrance hidden by Manaka and her ability.
Fuwari! What happened!" Manaka shouted.
"I lost. Those people, youkai hunters, tried to... do something really bad to me," Fuwari said, not wanting to corrupt the mind of her 'younger' sister.
"Fuwari is okay? Fuwari!" shouted Aki, while she ran out to greet her sister.
"Fuwa! Fuwa's back! Hey, Haruna, Fuwa's alive!" Reika shouted, while running out to see.
Haruna was the last to join. From the look on her face, she had been crying for some time. Her tears coming from the belief that Fuwari was killed.
"Fuwari! My goodness, Fuwari!" Haruna shouted, tears of joy filling her face.
Jowa and Rumia smiled, glad to see the family reunited. Only Haruna seemed to take note of their presence, but was too happy at seeing Fuwari to fully express it.
"Fuwari, you're hurt badly. Let me help you," Manaka said. Manaka cast her hands over Fuwari's arm. A magical glow appeared between her hands as she ran them up and down the length of Fuwari's arm. She did the same for her hand and broken wings.
"A healer?" Jowa and Rumia thought to themselves, surprised at the sight.
"Thank you, Manaka," Fuwari replied, while removing the bandages on her body, revealing the wounds hand indeed healed.
"Fuwari, who are these two?" Haruna asked.
"Hm? Oh, hey, who are these guys?" Manaka asked.
"They look kind of scary," Aki said.
"Hey, isn't she from earlier?" Reika asked.
Fuwari gave an explanation of what had taken place, convincing her family that Jowa and Rumia were good people, and that they had helped to save her life.
"So, you still offered to help us out, even though you were a victim to one of our pranks?" Haruna asked.
"Children pull pranks. Doesn't mean we should exterminate every last one of them," Jowa replied.
"I see. Thank you for saving Fuwari," Haruna replied.
"I just did it as a woman and out of boredom, more than anything. This saving youkai business doesn't suit me," Rumia said.
"I see, well, I thank you all the same, Miss Rumia," Haruna replied.
"You all be careful around here, okay? Those hunters have been causing a lot of problems throughout the area. Just be careful about pulling pranks around here, maybe find somewhere further away from the village," Jowa said.
"There is another village nearby, one that I have been thinking of taking us to. They appear to be much more receptive to youkai than Ozore Village. I think we'll go to the part of the forest around that village. You two be safe as well," Haruna said, before leading her group out.
"Watch out for us fairies, okay?" Manaka said.
"Don't worry, we will," Jowa answered.
"Thank you again for saving me. I'll always remember you, and maybe shop at your stand from time to time," Fuwari said.
"I look forward to it, just don't try to steal anything from me, okay? Especially not tofu. One of my customers is a big fan of it, and she'd get rather upset if my stock was stolen," Jowa explained.
"Okay, we'll just take everything else," Aki said.
"Aki!" Reika shouted, before knocking her on the head. "Sorry, she gets a little too excited about our heists.
"You fairies sure are full of energy, aren't you?" Rumia asked.
"Gotta live for today, because you never know what tomorrow will bring," Haruna said.
"That's rather deep, coming from a fairy," Jowa stated.
"I heard it from another youkai once, one we tried to prank. That's what he told us when he caught us," Haruna replied.
"Well, be mindful of that then. Stay safe!" Jowa shouted.
"Goodbye, Jowa, Rumia!" Fuwari shouted.
The group of five fairies made their way into the deeper parts of the forest, using the coming night to hide themselves from those looking to go after them.
"We should probably get going ourselves. I'm pretty sure Hikaru will throw another fit as it is," Jowa said.
"And she'll probably yell at you for getting into a fight," Rumia added.
"Uh... maybe we should not bring that one up..."
"And then what are you going to tell her? You were out hitting on women, or something?"
"You think that would work?"
"I've been around you for a day and can tell you're not that type. I'm pretty sure someone who has been around you for years, fairy or not, wouldn't buy into a lie like that."
"You're right. Knowing her, she'll figure it out right away. She's just too smart for her own good..."
"Well, at least you didn't get hurt again. You could always tell her that."
"I could, but something tells me that will only make her less mad."
Jowa and Rumia make their way back to where Jowa left his cart. There were a couple of fairies trying to get into it. Rumia was able to quickly scare the pair off with a show of her sword, the pair running off back into the forest. Jowa grabbed the cart and the pair returned to their house to an angry Hikaru waiting for them out front.
"Where have you two been? Making out in the woods, or something!" Hikaru shouted.
"How did you know?" Jowa asked.
Rumia slapped Jowa on the face, followed by another from Hikaru.
"Okay, so that wasn't what I was doing..." Jowa muttered.
"You got into another fight, didn't you?" Hikaru asked.
"I didn't get hurt this time! They were going to rape a fairy. I wasn't going to just sit back and watch."
"Oh... wow... uh... okay, okay, I'll let it go then, but you really need to be careful. All it takes is for you to make one mistake, and that Takashi will show up and kill you, and I don't know what I would do if something were to ever happen to you."
"Don't worry; you're strong, I'm sure you'd manage along without me. Maybe turn this little house into a hangout for lost fairies, or something."
"Don't go talking about things like that. Now come on, your dinner was already starting to get cold as it is. I made some for you, too, Rumia. You do plan on staying for a little while, right?" Hikaru asked.
Rumia thought it over for a moment. She was just passing the time until her outfit was cleaned. She could just as easily grab her outfit and go, rather than spend the night with Jowa again. She was always more of an independent person, not one who needed to rely on others. Then she should about what Fuwari had said earlier about finding a family among her band of fairies.
"Over time, you became a little family, huh? Well, maybe I could stick around with these two for a little while longer. I don't know about this family thing, but there's never anything wrong with having more friends around, I suppose," Rumia thought to herself.
"Are you staying with us again, tonight, Rumia?" Jowa asked.
"I guess I can. It is rather late already. I'll need a day just to get used to being up at night like I usually am, rather than asleep. And you did already go through the trouble of preparing a meal for me. It would be rather rude of me to leave. One more night won't be the end of me," Rumia replied.
"Then let's go enjoy our dinner. I'm sure Hikaru has prepared something extravagant for us," Jowa said.
"I don't know about that, but I did make sure to season the meat with a few of the nicer spices we have. It came out rather nice, if I do say so myself," Hikaru said, while leading everyone into the living area to dine on the meal she spent the last couple of hours working on. The group enjoyed a nice little meal before retiring for the night, drifting off into a peaceful, restful sleep.
In another part of the forest, there was anything but peace, as Takashi was on another hunt. His men were already lost, much as they always were when he brought low ranking hunters with him on his hunts. It didn't stop Takashi, though. He was now one on one with a youkai. The youkai appeared to be a human male in his early twenties. He had long, blue hair and matching blue eyes. He was slightly muscular, not to the point of being a body builder, but enough to see he had physical strength at his side. He was wearing a gray shirt and black pants.
"Your friends have already been crushed by my power, and yet you continue to persist? I don't know whether I should refer to you as brave or foolish!" the youkai shouted.
"I would call you foolish, rather than brave," Takashi replied.
"Oh, so you have a personality, do you? Alright then, that's fine. I'll just crush you the same way I crushed the others! Gravity Sign 'Weight of the World!'" the youkai shouted.
Takashi knew right away to move at the end of the declaration. At first, it seemed as though nothing happened. A careful glance at the ground would reveal the grass is being crushed, as though it had a weight dropped upon it. Takashi continued to charge towards his opponent, who could only smile in return.
"That's it, walk right into the my trap! Repel 'Shockwave!'" the youkai shouted. At the end of the declaration, a force as strong as that of gravity was sent out in all directions from the youkai. The bodies of the deceased, their weapons, and everything else in range of the attack where thrown back. Takashi quickly pulled out a chain with a pike at its end into the ground. The pike had an amulet on it, designed to give the pike extra force when thrown. The pike sunk a couple of feet into the ground. Takashi attached the chain to his armor, while pulling out one of his swords to deflect anything that was thrown at him. Takashi was forced to cut the body of one of his fallen hunters in half in order to avoid being hit by it as the spell continued. The gravity manipulating youkai was struggling to increase the power behind the spell, not believing Takashi had found a way to withstand it. Within a couple of moments, the spell gained enough power to start tearing away at the ground beneath the youkai. Dust and rocks began to fly through the air towards Takashi, who struggled to pull out a spell of his own.
"Iron Sign 'Steel Barrier!'" Takashi shouted. A wall of transparent metal appeared before Takashi. It appeared to be made of glass, but the sounds made when the small rocks and stones began hitting it indicated what the material actually was. Some of the larger stones started to put dents into the barrier, slowly beginning to weaken it. Takashi saw this, as the gravity youkai continued to increase the power of his spell.
"You won't survive much longer! No human can withstand the full force of my power!" the youkai shouted in glee, happy to have a chance to show off his full power.
"Wrath Sign 'Mach Strike!'" Takashi shouted, while holding his sword forward. After the card burned away, Takashi gained the ability to move forward against the force of the wave. If it weren't for the wave hitting him, Takashi could have easily ran into the youkai within a blink of an eye. Takashi was moving forward at running speed, the gravity youkai not believing what he was seeing.
"Impossible! No human should be able to harness that level of magic!" the gravity youkai shouted, again increasing the power of his spell. The youkai was starting to get winded, the strain of using the spell starting to catch up to him. Takashi continued to advance, with the youkai starting to panic. Takashi was only a few feet from the youkai, prompting him to force the last of his magic into the spell.
"Die!" shouted the youkai, before suddenly being cut off. The youkai's expression turned from one of rage to one of shock and surprise. The youkai looked down to see Takashi's sword going straight through him. At the last second, Takashi's speed increased, allowing him to overwhelm the spell of the gravity youkai. The spell broke as soon as the youkai was hit, returning everything to normal. The youkai settled into the small crater he had created be he began to cough up blood, before looking straight into Takashi's eyes.
"You're not human... there's no way..." the youkai muttered.
"I'm a human, freak. A human who knows more about magic then most of your kind could ever hope to learn. And to think you were born of magic. What an insult it must be to see a human use the element that gave birth to you with a greater mastery than you could ever hope to achieve!" Takashi shouted, before pulling out his second sword, and slicing his opponents head in two. Blood spattered all over Takashi. Takashi quickly pulled out a vial before the body of the youkai turned to magic sparks. As it did, Takashi collected the magic sparks into the vial, before they could fade away into the atmosphere of Gensokyo. Takashi quickly corked it, the magic dust settling inside the vial and maintaining it's glow.
"Mission accomplished," Takashi said, while putting the vial back into it's hiding place within his armored outfit. Takashi smiled to himself as he made his return to the village.
"Another youkai taken care of, another step closer to our goal," Takashi said to himself, an evil grin forming as he continued along.